Austin Trash & Recycling Schedule
Official garbage collection rules, bin guidelines, and holiday schedules for residents of Austin, Texas.
Find Your Exact Pickup Days
Enter your street address on the official collection map to see your specific trash, recycling, and yard waste schedule.
📍 View Official Collection MapService Provider
Austin Resource Recovery
Phone Number
512-494-9400Facility Address
1520 Rutherford Ln, Austin, TX 78754
Collection Schedule
Trash, recycling and compost collected weekly based on neighborhood schedules.
Bin Colors
Brown trash, Blue recycling, Green compost
Guidelines & Rules
🎄 Holiday Delays
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's shift service one day later.
🛋️ Bulk Waste Pickup
Bulk, brush and hazardous waste scheduled via online calendar.
⚠️ Important Guidelines
Place carts by 6:30 a.m.; use My Schedule tool for exact day.
Comprehensive Guide & Details
Austin's Commitment to Zero Waste
Austin Resource Recovery operates a unique residential waste program explicitly designed around the city's ambitious sustainability goals. Rather than relying on a standard flat-fee garbage collection model, the local system highly encourages active composting and recycling. Because Central Texas prioritizes environmental health, households must separate their weekly refuse into three distinct, color-coded receptacles to drastically minimize landfill contributions and keep the community green.
Decoding the Three-Cart System
Every eligible single-family home is equipped with a green cart for compostable organics, a blue cart for single-stream recycling, and a brown cart for landfill-bound garbage. Your green and brown bins are serviced every single week, while the blue recycling container operates on an alternating biweekly schedule known as A and B weeks. It is vital to remember that all recyclables, like flattened cardboard, glass jars, and rigid plastics, must be placed loose inside the blue container. Bagging items in plastic grocery sacks will ruin the sorting machinery and contaminate the load.
The Pay-As-You-Throw Pricing Model
Unlike many neighboring municipalities, Austin utilizes a highly effective pay-as-you-throw pricing structure for household garbage. Your monthly utility bill is directly tied to the physical size of your brown trash cart. Meanwhile, the blue recycling and green compost containers are provided at no extra cost to the resident, regardless of their capacity. By diverting food scraps to the green bin and clean paper to the blue bin, families can easily downsize their brown cart to a smaller model, instantly saving money on their monthly statements.
Scheduling On-Demand Bulk and Brush Pickups
The city recently modernized its heavy waste procedures, transitioning away from neighborhood-wide scheduled sweeps for oversized junk. Residents are now empowered to schedule their own on-demand bulk and brush collections up to three times per calendar year. Whether you are clearing out old furniture, broken appliances, or massive tree limbs, you can request an extraction through the My Schedule online tool or by dialing the local 3-1-1 hotline. Make sure to keep your yard trimmings completely separated from your heavy junk piles at the curb.
Strict 5:30 AM Curbside Deadlines
To ensure seamless daily service across the sprawling metro area, all carts must be rolled to the street by 5:30 a.m. on your designated collection morning. Austin Resource Recovery strictly enforces a five-foot clearance rule. You must leave at least five feet of open space between each cart, while keeping them completely clear of parked vehicles, mailboxes, and low-hanging oak tree branches. This precise spacing allows the automated truck arms to securely grab the bins without damaging any surrounding residential property.
The Recycle and Reuse Drop-Off Center
For items that are strictly banned from standard curbside carts, such as toxic household chemicals, wet paint, electronic waste, and block Styrofoam, residents must utilize the city's specialized Drop-Off Center located on Business Center Drive. Because this facility is highly utilized by the community to safely dispose of hazardous materials, you cannot simply show up unannounced. All visitors are required to book a drop-off appointment online ahead of time to gain entry to the zero-waste compliance hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is trash collected in Austin?
A: Trash, recycling and compost collected weekly based on neighborhood schedules.
Q: How does the holiday schedule affect garbage pickup?
A: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's shift service one day later.
Q: Which bins should I use for trash and recycling?
A: Brown trash, Blue recycling, Green compost
Q: How can I schedule a bulk waste pickup?
A: Bulk, brush and hazardous waste scheduled via online calendar.
Need to pay your water bill?
View online payment options, office hours, and customer service details for Austin Water Utilities.
Go to Water Bill Services →